SJU Basketball - Edition 2 2022-23

HEAD COACH PAT MCKENZIE

A 2004 SJU graduate, Pat McKenzie is in his eighth season as head coach of the Johnnies in 2022-23.

He became the 15th head coach in the 113-year history of Johnnie basketball on April 15th, 2015, and replaced Jim Smith who retired following 51 seasons at SJU.

2021-22 SEASON

The Johnnies (23-5, 17-2 MIAC) won their second consecutive MIAC regular-season championship (10th overall) and third consecutive MIAC Playoff title (eighth overall) in 2021-22. SJU made its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in a row and ended the regular season ranked No. 24 nationally.

2019-20 SEASON

He led SJU to a 27-2 record (19-1 MIAC), which tied the program record for single-season wins (1978-79), its ninth MIAC regular-season title, seventh MIAC Playoff championship and third consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. The Johnnies advanced to the third round (Sweet 16) of the NCAA Tournament, but the season abruptly ended with the NCAA’s cancellation of all winter and spring championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 27 wins served as the program’s 13th 20win season.

2018-19 SEASON

McKenzie led SJU to a 23-5 record (17-3 MIAC), the MIAC Playoff championship, and second consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.

2017-18 SEASON

SJU became just the sixth team to tally a 19-1 MIAC record or better in 2017-18 and was the eighth team to win

the regular-season title by four games or more since the league moved to a 20-game conference schedule in 198384. The Johnnies won 16 consecutive, their longest win streak since they won 27 straight in 1978-79.

2016-17 SEASON

The Johnnies posted a 19-9 record (13-7 MIAC) and earned their 24th trip to the conference playoffs, advancing to the MIAC Playoff Championship game for the first time since 2006-07, during McKenzie’s second season as head coach.

2014-15 SEASON

McKenzie completed his ninth season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. The Johnnies recorded the second-most wins (110) in conference play during McKenzie’s nine-year tenure as an assistant. He coached

ohnnies

GoProud supporter of SJU athletics.

NO. NAME

2022-23 JOHNNIES PRESENTED BY MCGOUGH CONSTRUCTION

YR. POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL

1 Kyle Johnson Fr. G 6-2 185 Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle

2 Zach Longueville So. G 6-2 180 Eagan, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran

3 Blake Berg Jr. G 6-4 205 West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne

4 Brandon Adelman Jr. G 6-4 185 New London, Minn./New London-Spicer

5

J.T. Gaffney Jr. W 6-7 200 Wayzata, Minn./Minnetonka

10 Luke Healy So. G 6-0 180 Hudson, Wis./Hudson

11 Mitchell Plombon Sr. P 6-7 215 St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral

12 Nick Bartlett Fr. G 6-2 170 Ham Lake, Minn./Forest Lake

13 Ethan Youso Jr. P 6-7 220 Gilbert, Minn./Virginia

14 Kooper Vaughn So. G 6-1 180 St. Charles, Minn./St. Charles

20 Andrew Wagner So. G 6-0 175 Prospect Heights, Ill./Hersey

21 Griffin Rushin So. W 6-8 185 Baxter, Minn./Brainerd

22 Elijah Sutton Jr. W 6-5 190 Dover, Pa./Dover

24 Ryan Thissen Jr. W 6-6 210 Rosemount, Minn./Eastview

25 Thomas Menk Fr. G 6-4 200 Lewiston, Minn./Lewiston-Altura

31 Erik Hedstrom Fr. P 6-5 225 Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria

32 Connor Schwob Jr. W 6-5 200 Waconia, Minn./Waconia

33 Brady Spaulding Fr. P 6-7 215 Annandale, Minn./Annandale

35 Luke Budzyn So. W 6-7 195 St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge

40 Andrew Nerud So. P 6-8 230 Elko New Market, Minn./New Prague

41 Carson Schoeller Sr. P 6-9 230 Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake

42 Sam Olson Sr. G 6-3 190 Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori

43 Mitchell Degen Fr. W 6-5 205 Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd www.mcgough.com

McGough wishes the SJU JOHNNIES good luck this season!

YEAR-BY-YEAR

Coach Unknown

Year Overall 1902-03 0-2

Frank Tewes

1 season 1903-04 4-0 (1.000)

Year Overall 1903-04 4-0

1918-19 1902-03

Edward Flynn

10 seasons

1910-1920 47-44-1 (.516)

Year Overall 1910-11 2-0 1911-12 2-6 1912-13 4-5 1913-14 7-4

MDIC Notes

1914-15 6-3-1 1915-16 9-1 RS 1916-17 1-8 1917-18 6-5 1918-19 6-6 3-3 1919-20 4-6 3-2

Fred Sanborn

2 seasons 1922-24 9-19 (.321)

Year Overall MIAC Notes 1922-23 5-9 2-8 1923-24 4-10 1-6

Peter Tierney

1905-06 1920-21

2 seasons 1904-06 5-2 (.714)

Year Overall 1904-05 3-0 1905-06 2-2

Coach Unknown

Year Overall 1906-07 3-1 1907-08 9-1

John Siebel

1 season 1908-09 4-0-1 (.900)

Year Overall 1908-09 4-0-1

Coach Unknown Year Overall 1909-10 5-7

Eugene Aldrich

1 season 1924-25 6-8 (.428)

Year Overall MIAC Notes 1924-25 6-8 3-5

Edward Cahill

2 seasons

1920-22 16-12 (.571)

Year Overall MIAC Notes 1920-21 8-6 5-3 1921-22 8-6 4-5

Wilfred Houle

5 seasons 1925-30 34-36 (.486)

Year Overall MIAC Notes

1925-26 10-7 5-5 1926-27 5-5 1927-28 8-7 3-5 1928-29 7-6 5-4 1929-30 4-11 1-8

BRING

YEAR-BY-YEAR

Joe Benda

7 seasons

1930-37 33-74 (.308)

Year Overall MIAC

1930-31 4-11 3-8

1931-32 5-10 2-9 1932-33 6-7 4-7

1933-34 0-12 1934-35 5-9 5-7

1935-36 5-14 2-10

1936-37 8-11 6-6

Bill Osborne

6 seasons 1953-59 60-91 (.397)

Year Overall MIAC Notes 1953-54 11-12 8-8 1954-55 14-11 7-9 1955-56 11-14 6-10 1956-57 11-11 8-8 1957-58 5-19 2-14 1958-59 8-24 6-10

4 seasons 1937-41 32-44 (.421)

Year Overall MIAC Notes

1937-38 5-11 1-11

1938-39 10-7 8-4 1939-40 12-11 4-8 1940-41 5-15 2-10

Ed Hasbrouck

5 seasons

1959-64 35-79 (.307)

Year Overall MIAC Notes 1959-60 3-18 3-13 1960-61 7-17 3-13 1961-62 8-16 4-12 1962-63 7-15 4-12 1963-64 10-13 4-12

Jim Smith 51 seasons 786-556 (.586)

Year Overall MIAC Notes

1986-87 19-8 16-4 RS

1987-88 19-10 13-7 PO, NCAA

1988-89 16-10 13-7

1989-90 19-8 16-4

1990-91 10-15 10-10

1991-92 14-11 11-9

1992-93 20-8 17-3 RS, NCAA

1993-94 18-8 15-5

1994-95 17-9 15-5 NCAA

1995-96 12-12 10-10

1996-97 14-10 12-8

1997-98 11-12 10-10

1998-99 12-11 10-10

1999-00 20-7 14-6 PO, NCAA

2000-01 22-6 17-3 RS, PO, NCAA

2001-02 15-11 13-7

2002-03 12-15 10-10

2003-04 8-17 6-12

2004-05 8-17 6-12

2005-06 16-10 14-6

2006-07 21-8 17-3 NCAA

2007-08 14-12 11-9

2008-09 14-12 12-8

2009-10 14-12 11-9

2010-11 14-11 10-10

2011-12 16-11 11-9

2012-13 12-14 11-9

2013-14 15-11 13-7 2014-15 16-10 14-6

Pat McKenzie 7 seasons

137-37 (.787)

Year Overall MIAC Notes

2015-16 19-8 13-7

Joe Benda

7 seasons, 14 seasons total

1930-37, 1941-48 35-77 (.312), 68-151 (.310)

Year Overall MIAC Notes

1941-42 3-13 1-11 1942-43 3-13 3-11 1943-44 2-8 1944-45 6-5 5-5 1945-46 5-13 3-6 1946-47 12-8 7-5 1947-48 4-18 1-10

John “Buster” Hiller

5 seasons

1948-53

40-71 (.360)

Year Overall MIAC Notes

1948-49 9-11 6-6

1949-50 4-21 2-10

1950-51 8-15 4-8

1951-52 11-10 4-8

1952-53 8-14 4-12

1964-65 9-15 6-10 1965-66 11-13 10-6 1966-67 17-7 11-5 1967-68 15-10 10-6 1968-69 20-9 12-4 RS, NAIA 1969-70 11-12 7-9 1970-71 12-12 10-6 1971-72 12-13 10-6 1972-73 11-16 8-8

1973-74 10-16 7-9 1974-75 8-19 6-12 1975-76 17-10 12-6 NAIA 1976-77 14-12 11-5 NAIA 1977-78 23-8 15-3 RS, NAIA

1978-79 27-3 18-0 RS, NAIA 1979-80 20-8 14-4 NAIA 1980-81 18-9 12-6

1981-82 16-11 13-5 NAIA

1982-83 18-12 12-6 NAIA

1983-84 20-8 16-4 NAIA

1984-85 16-12 13-7 PO, NCAA 1985-86 23-5 16-4 RS, PO, NCAA

2016-17 19-9 13-7

2017-18 23-4 19-1 RS, NCAA

2018-19 23-5 17-3 PO, NCAA

2019-20 27-2 19-1 RS, PO, NCAA

2020-21 3-4 2-3

2021-22 23-5 17-2 RS, PO, NCAA

George Durenberger

BLAKE BERG &

Ryan Thissen and Blake Berg were part of a class that did not have a normal first season of college basketball.

Instead, the two Saint John’s University juniors and their classmates arrived in Collegeville in the fall of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was making its impact felt in full force across campus –including on the basketball court.

Like the rest of the teams in the MIAC (and many other conferences), the Johnnies played an abbreviated season consisting of just seven games – all without fans present.

“It definitely felt very weird,” said Thissen, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound junior wing who led his team in scoring through this season’s first nine games with an average of 17.6 points per contest.

“There weren’t fans at any of the games, we were wearing masks in practice and we were getting tested all the time. It was a strange way to start your college career. But it was also beneficial because I was able to pick up a lot of experience.

“In a way, it was like having a redshirt season where you actually had the chance to play.”

In fact, Thissen started all seven games that year and finished second on the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game. He rode that momentum into last season, when he started all 28 games for the Johnnies, again leading the team in scoring with a 13 ppg average and earning All-MIAC second-team honors.

Berg also gained some experience as a freshman and used that as a base for his sophomore year when the 6-foot-4, 205-pound guard averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds. He appeared in all 28 games and averaged 18.1 minutes.

This year, he has taken over the sixthman role and was averaging 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 22.3 minutes of action per game through the first nine.

“In a way, it felt like last year was my true freshman season because we really didn’t get the full experience that first season,” said Berg, a graduate of

RYAN THISSEN

West Fargo (North Dakota) Sheyenne High School, who is majoring in global business leadership at SJU. “It wasn’t an ideal way to start a college career off. But I did learn a lot and that’s been helpful as I’ve gone on.”

A graduate of Eastview High School, Thissen had originally decided to attend St. Thomas, but those plans were put on hold as the Tommies began their transition from the Division III to the Division I level.

It was then that SJU re-entered the picture.

“I was ready to commit (at St. Thomas), but they asked me to hold off because they didn’t know how things were going to look and they wanted to be fair to me,” said Thissen, a biochemistry major who maintains a 4.0 GPA and earned Academic All-MIAC distinction a year ago. “I took that as a second chance to evaluate if it was where I really wanted to be. I’d looked at Saint John’s and, after reconsidering everything, I concluded the best fit for me was here.”

Berg, meanwhile, got connected with SJU through a former rival.

“Matt Petersen, who (used to be an assistant) at Concordia, is close with (SJU assistant) Jerry Fogarty,” Berg recalls. “I knew Matt and he called the coaches here about me. I went to a few of the games and I really liked the atmosphere.”

Now, both Berg and Thissen are poised to play key roles as the Johnnies begin the heart of their conference schedule in search of their fourth straight MIAC playoff title.

“Our long-range goal is to win another MIAC title and get back to the point we were last season,” Thissen said. “Then we want to take it even further. But we don’t like to look ahead too much. We try to take it one game at a time and focus on the moment at hand.

“When you approach things that way, the rest will take care of itself.”

“In a way, it was like having a redshirt season where you actually had the chance to play.”

UPPERCLASSMEN

PRESENTED BY WEIDNER’S MECHANICAL

42 Sam Olson

Sr. | G | 6-3 | 190 | Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori

Personal: Transferred to SJU from Ridgewater…a 2018 graduate of Rocori High School…coached by Nate Guetter ’99… Sociology major…son of Jeff and Mary Jo Olson of Cold Spring, Minn.

11 Mitchell Plombon

Sr. | P | 6-7 | 215 | St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral

2021-22: Played 20 games with 18 starts…averaged 9.0 points and 4.6 rebounds…shot 52.0 percent (79-152) from the field and recorded two double-doubles, Jan. 29 at Concordia-Moorhead (10 rebounds and 10 points) and Feb. 23 vs. Hamline (14 points and 10 rebounds).

2020-21: Started all seven games for the Johnnies…averaged 13.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per contest…shot 56.9 percent (37-65) from the field and 54.5 percent (6-11) from three-point range…posted a doubledouble (15 points and 10 rebounds) March 3 vs. St. Thomas.

2019-20: Appeared in 19 games for the Johnnies, all in 2020…scored 61 points and collected 31 rebounds…shot 52.2 percent (24-46) from the field.

Personal: Transferred to SJU during the 2019-20 holiday break from Division II Winona State, where he also redshirted...a 2018 graduate of St. Cloud Cathedral...coached by Matt Meyer...Global Business Leadership major...son of Gary and Roxy Plombon of St. Cloud, Minn…older brother, Max, played football at SJU.

41 Carson Schoeller

Sr. | P | 6-9 | 230 | Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake

2021-22: Played 25 games for the Johnnies with six starts…averaged 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds…shot 52.9 percent (64-121) from the field and 46.3 percent (25-54) from three-point range…posted a double-double (14 points and 10 rebounds) Jan. 22 vs. St. Scholastica.

2020-21: Appeared in four games for SJU…scored nine points in 14 minutes of play.

2019-20: Played 14 games for the Johnnies…scored 34 points and shot 65.2 percent (15-23) from the field in 47 minutes of play.

Personal: A 2019 graduate of Prior Lake High School…coached by Bob Schwein…Accounting (Finance) major…son of John and Kirsten Schoeller of Prior Lake, Minn.

4 Brandon Adelman

Jr. | G | 6-4 | 185 | New London, Minn./New London-Spicer 2021-22: Played two games…totaled two points and two rebounds in three minutes of play.

Personal: Transferred to SJU during the 2021-22 holiday break from Division II Bryant and Stratton Junior College in WI…a 2019 graduate of New London-Spicer High School…coached by Chad Schmiesing…Global Business Leadership major… son of Cheryl and Dean Adelman of New London, Minn.

3 Blake Berg

Jr. | G | 6-4 | 205 | West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne

2021-22: Played all 28 games for the Johnnies with three starts…averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds…shot 56.5 percent (61-108) from the field and 45.5 percent (10-22) from three-point range.

2020-21: Appeared in four games for the Johnnies…collected four points and five rebounds in 28 minutes of play.

Personal: A 2020 graduate of West Fargo (N.D.) Sheyenne High School…coached by Thomas Kirchoffner…Global Business Leadership major…son of Kyle and Connie Berg of West Fargo, N.D.

5 J.T. Gaffney

Jr. | W | 6-7 | 200 | Wayzata, Minn./Minnetonka

2021-22: Played three games…scored five points in 14 minutes of play...Academic All-MIAC.

2020-21: Appeared in one game for the Johnnies…scored two points in four minutes of play.

Personal: A 2020 graduate of Minnetonka High School…coached by Bryce Tesdahl…previously attended Wisconsin… Biology major…son of Ray and Leslie Gaffney of Wayzata, Minn.

UPPERCLASSMEN

32 Connor Schwob

Jr. | W | 6-5 | 200 | Waconia, Minn./Waconia

2020-21: Played two games for the Johnnies…scored two points and collected three rebounds in eight minutes of play... Academic All-MIAC.

Personal: A 2020 graduate of Waconia High School…coached by Pat Hayes…Global Business Leadership major…son of Dave and Lynn Schwob of Waconia, Minn.

22 Elijah Sutton

Jr. | W | 6-5 | 190 | Dover, Pa./Dover

2021-22 & 2020-21: Did not play due to injury.

Personal: Transferred to SJU from Chatham (Pa.)…played 26 games, including 13 starts, as a freshman at Chatham in 2019-20 and averaged 9.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game…was second on the team in made free throws (49) and free-throw percentage (.831) …a 2019 graduate of Dover (Pa.) High School…coached by Brian Schmoyer…Accounting (Finance) major…son of Samuel and Kiersten Sutton of Dover, Pa.

24 Ryan Thissen

Jr. | W | 6-6 | 210 | Rosemount, Minn./Eastview

2021-22: Started all 28 games for SJU…averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game…shot 52.0 percent from the field (145-279)…recorded a double-double Feb. 27 vs. Macalester (11 points and 11 rebounds)...earned MIAC’s Elite 22 Award for having the highest GPA among the two teams playing in the MIAC championship game...All-MIAC second team... Academic All-MIAC.

2020-21: Started all seven games for the Johnnies…averaged 13.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game…totaled 20 assists…shot 55.1 percent (38-69) from the field and 46.7 percent (7-15) from three-point range…81.3 percent (13-16) from the free-throw line.

Personal: A 2020 graduate of Eastview High School…coached by Paul Goetz…Biochemistry major…son of Jon and Michelle Thissen of Rosemount, Minn…father played football at Division I Minnesota…older brother, Zach, played football at Division II Southwest Minnesota State.

13 Ethan Youso

Jr. | P | 6-7 | 220 | Gilbert, Minn./Virginia 2021-22: Appeared in 12 games for the Johnnies…totaled 21 points and 22 rebounds in 93 minutes of play…shot 47.6 percent (10-21) from the field.

Personal: Transferred to SJU from Division II Minnesota-Duluth…a 2018 graduate of Virginia High School…coached by Rich Odell…Computer Science major…son of Shawn and Jody (CSB ’92) Youso of Gilbert, Minn…older sister, Jessa, participated in basketball, track and field, and volleyball at Carleton…mother played tennis at CSB…grandfather, Frank Youso, played in the NFL from 1958-65 with the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders.

SOPHOMORES

PRESENTED

35 Luke Budzyn

BY COBORN’S

So. | W | 6-7 | 195 | St. Paul, Minn./East Ridge 2021-22: Played four games…recorded two points and three rebounds in 11 minutes of play.

Personal: A 2021 graduate of East Ridge High School…coached by Josh Peltier…Global Business Leadership major…son of Cathy and Bill Budzyn of St. Paul, Minn.

10 Luke Healy

So. | G | 6-0 | 180 | Hudson, Wis./Hudson

Personal: Transferred to SJU from Division II Sioux Falls (S.D.)…played 14 games, with one start, and averaged 4.3 points and 12.9 minutes per game for the Cougars…a 2021 graduate of Hudson (Wis.) High School…coached by John Dornfeld…Accounting (Finance) major…son of Terri and Brian Healy of Hudson, Wis.

2 Zach Longueville

So. | G | 6-2 | 180 | Eagan, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran 2021-22: Appeared in 15 games for the Johnnies…averaged 4.1 points and recorded 14 assists…shot 42.6 percent (2047) from the field and 46.2 percent (18-39) from three-point range.

Personal: A 2021 graduate of St. Croix Lutheran Academy…coached by Drew Koch…Accounting (Finance) major…son of Jane Longueville and Joe Longueville…father played football at Division I South Dakota.

40 Andrew Nerud

So. | P | 6-8 | 230 | Elko New Market, Minn./New Prague

Personal: Played one game for SJU…a 2021 graduate of New Prague High School…coached by Dan Peterka…Computer Science major…son of Dan and Dawn Nerud of Elko New Market, Minn…father played basketball at St. Thomas…mother played basketball at Towson State (Md.).

21 Griffin Rushin

So. | W | 6-8 | 185 | Baxter, Minn./Brainerd 2021-22: Appeared in 15 games for the Johnnies…recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds…shot 55.6 percent (10-18) from the field.

Personal: A 2021 graduate of Brainerd High School…coached by Charlie Schoeck…Biology major…son of Chad and Jennifer Rushin of Baxter, Minn.

14 Kooper Vaughn

So. | G | 6-1 | 180 | St. Charles, Minn./St. Charles

2021-22: Started all 28 games for SJU…finished second on the team in scoring with an average of 11.6 points per game…shot 43.5 percent (97-223) from the field and 40.9 percent (70-171) from three-point range...broke SJU's singleseason record for three-pointers made by a freshman - 53 by Chris Schwartz '11 in 2007-08 - with 70…All-MIAC third team...MIAC All- First year team.

Personal: A 2021 graduate of St. Charles High School…coached by Terry Knothe…Global Business Leadership major…son of David and Jackie Vaughn of St. Charles, Minn.

20 Andrew Wagner

So. | G | 6-0 | 170 | Prospect Heights, Ill./Hersey

2021-22: Appeared in 14 games for the Johnnies…recorded nine points and four rebounds in 38 minutes of play.

Personal: A 2021 graduate of Hersey (Ill.) High School…coached by Austin Scott…Global Business Leadership major… son of Jeannine and Patrick Wagner of Prospect Heights, Ill.

PRESENTED BY COBORN’S

12 Nick Bartlett

Fr. | G | 6-2 | 170 | Ham Lake, Minn./Forest Lake

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Forest Lake High School…coached by Dan Cremisino and Kyle McDonald…Global Business Leadership major…son of Chris and Tony Bartlett of Ham Lake, Minn.

43 Mitchell Degen

Fr. | W | 6-5 | 205 | Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Brainerd High School…coached by Charlie Schoeck…Global Business Leadership major… son of Julie and Mike Degen of Brainerd, Minn…older sisters, Hanna ’21 and Jenna ’19, participated in track and field at CSB...father played football at Division II Bemidji State.

31 Erik Hedstrom

Fr. | P | 6-5 | 225 | Alexandria, Minn./Alexandria

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Alexandria High School…coached by Forrest Witt…Biochemistry major…son of Andrew Hedstrom and Lorinda Hedstrom of Alexandria, Minn…father played football at St. Olaf…mother played tennis at Gustavus Adolphus…older brother, Anders, played basketball for the Gusties.

1 Kyle Johnson

Fr. | G | 6-2 | 185 | Prior Lake, Minn./DeLaSalle

Personal: A 2022 graduate of DeLaSalle High School…coached by Travis Bledsoe…undecided major…son of Tina and Joe Johnson of Prior Lake, Minn.

25 Thomas Menk

Fr. | G | 6-4 | 200 | Lewiston, Minn./Lewiston-Altura

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Lewiston-Altura High School…coached by Michael VanderPlas…Accounting (Finance) major…son of Nicole and Brian Menk of Lewiston, Minn.

33 Brady Spaulding

Fr. | P | 6-7 | 215 | Annandale, Minn./Annandale

Personal: A 2022 graduate of Annandale High School…coached by Skip Dolan…Accounting major…son of Robin and Todd Spaulding of Annandale, Minn…father played basketball at Division II St. Cloud State…three older sisters - Mykenzie, Hannah and Allie - played basketball at St. Thomas.

ALL ABOUT BILL SEXTON

Longtime SJU basketball head coach, Jim Smith never had the chance to coach Bill Sexton, but he certainly heard plenty about him.

“At that time, there was no bigger name in Saint John’s basketball,” Smith recalls. “He was the one everybody talked about.”

With good reason of course. Sexton did not just rewrite the SJU record book during his time in Collegeville, he essentially created it.

His 1,480 points made him the school’s all-time scoring leader to that point, and the total still ranks fifth in school history.

He was the first Saint John’s player to earn All-MIAC honors twice - in 1954 and 1955 - and he became the first Johnnie to be named an All-American when he was selected to the All-NAIA third team in 1954.

Sexton, at 6’3” began his college career playing football at South Dakota State but lasted just 10 days there before leaving with the intention of joining the military.

But his father and a partner owned the lumber yard in Jasper and a customer had a son at SJU.

“They got to talking and my Dad came home and asked me to pack a small bag,” Sexton said. “We were going to go up and take a look at Saint John’s.

“I’ll be honest. At the time, I didn’t even know where it was. But to make a long story short, by the end of the day up there, I was enrolled.”

Sexton planned to play freshman football, but when the freshman season was canceled about two weeks after that fall, he faced an uncertain future.

“There was a note on the locker room door saying the season was canceled and we should turn in our equipment,” said Sexton. “I walked up to the old gym, which felt like a palace to me coming from where I did. I was shooting baskets and

(John) ‘Buster’ Hiller, the basketball coach, came over to talk to me.

“His scholarship players had already started practice, and he asked me if I would join them. I ended up being the seventh or eighth man on the varsity. Looking back, it was divine providence.”

He became the Johnnies’ first real superstar on the basketball court. The highlight of Sexton’s distinguished career came during the final game of his junior season in 1954. On that night, he scored 49 points in a victory over Macalester, a total that still stands as a single-game school record.

The performance also wrapped up that season’s MIAC scoring title.

“I don’t recall much of the specifics from a lot of the big games I played in,” he said. “I know the charts say I was 19for-32 from the field and 11-for-11 from the free throw line. I guess it was one of those games when I just got going.”

His senior year was equally spectacular as he finished with a team-best 511 points. Sexton’s involvement at Saint John’s did not end with his graduation.

He went on to a successful career in the insurance business and served as a member of the school’s Board of Regents from 1989-2001. The family, meanwhile, are among the school’s biggest donors. The current Sexton Commons are named in honor of his parents, and the basketball court in Warner Palaestra bears his name.

A $10 million pledge in 2004 created the Joyce and William Sexton Family Endowed Scholarship, as well as supporting the Abbey Guest House project and SJU athletics.

In 2000, he received the Fr. Walter Reger Award for service to his alma mater – the SJU Alumni Association’s highest honor.

“Saint John’s has played such an important role in my family’s life,” Sexton said. “Two of our sons and a grandson are Johnnies - Jim (1981 and a regent from 2001-19), Mats (1991) and William Ornburg (2017). Even with the death of my dad and brother at too early an age, God has been very, very, very good to our family and provided us with an opportunity to give back.”

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT BRUESS

Welcome to Sexton Arena and Saint John’s University basketball!

My name is Brian Bruess and, as of July 1, I am president of both College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University – the first time both of those titles have been held concurrently. In the short time that my wife Carol and I have been here, we have both certainly felt the engaging welcome of this community. The Benedictine hospitality lives up to its billing. Thank you to those who have reached out with greetings and well wishes.

I’m glad you’re here and hope you’re ready for some great competition. The young men out there in Johnnie red today have worked hard to excel in a game they love. That means hours of training, conditioning, preparing and traveling.

Beyond that, these are Johnnies. As such, each is a member of this Benedictine community we hold dear. Our students are engaged and involved with the causes and the initiatives that move them. In their four years here, they will discover their opportunities to develop as active, thoughtful citizens.

That’s a lot going on. So if things get tight toward the end today, don’t lose faith: Johnnies are obviously great at clock management.

So let’s get settled in and ready for tip off. And as we cheer for today’s performances on the court, let’s all commit to cheering a little louder in recognition of the performances we don’t see – in the classroom, in the lab and in service to their church or community.

Just as impressive, they’re working hard in the classroom. These are student-athletes in the best sense of both those traditions – and they uphold the academic standards for which Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s are well known.

GO JOHNNIES!

Ryan

SENTRY BANK PRESENTS

EARLY-SEASON PICTURES

Kooper

SJU vs. Augsburg | 78-50 | 12/3/2022

SJU at Macalester | 75-50 | 12/7/2022

SJU vs. St. Scholastica | 81-58 | 11/30/2022

SJU vs. Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 71-70 (2OT) | 11/12/2022

Thissen led all scorers with 24 points, on 11 of 18 shooting, and was in contention for a triple-double with a game-high eight rebounds and a career-best seven assists in 26:28 played.

Zach Longueville hit a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left to play in the second overtime.

Vaughn led the Johnnies with 23 points - the fourth 20-point game of his career - and a career-high nine rebounds, and tied a career high with six three-pointers (6-for-9).

Mitch Plombon led all scorers with a career-high 27 points – a near-even split with 14 in the first half and 13 in the second – on 13 of 17 shooting (including three dunks) and fell one rebound shy of a double-double.

FRANKLY SPEAKING

BY FRANK RAJKOWSKI

Johnnies Fans Left Old Gym With A Bang

It was 50 years ago this March when the Saint John’s University basketball team played its final home game in the Old Gym, perhaps better known in those days as Rat Hall.

And the Rat Pack – that dedicated band of SJU faithful – made sure the Johnnies went out with a bang … literally.

SJU defeated Concordia 82-74 on March 3, 1973 before a packed and raucous house – as was usually the case in a facility that had a capacity of perhaps around 1,200.

“We introduced both teams with spotlights back then,” recalls Jim Smith, SJU’s head coach from 1964-2015. “We’d turn all the lights off in the gym and use the spotlight in the old press box overlooking the court. Originally, we didn’t introduce the opposing team that way because we were worried about the Rat section. But at a conference coaches’ meeting, it was determined that the other teams wanted to be introduced with the spotlight as well.

“Which may not have been the wisest decision.”

Certainly not on this night, as the Rats bombarded the Cobber players with corn cobs.

“The first player ran out and a bunch of corn cobs came flying out of the crowd,” Smith said. “Then the second player ran out and even more came flying. By the time the fifth guy got out there, they were standing ankle deep in corn cobs.

“The Rats thought it was funny. Sonny Gulsvig, the longtime coach at Concordia, did not. He came down to our bench with a cob of corn and told me to take it to our president’s office and shove it in his ear.”

But the Rats weren’t finished yet. With the lights still out for

the Johnnies’ introductions, they began lighting off hundreds of firecrackers - creating a noise the St. Cloud Times account of the game termed “deafening.”

Not to mention leaving behind a lot of smoke.

“We had to wait until the smoke cleared before we could start the game,” Smith exclaimed. “It took a while. That was quite a way to say goodbye to Rat Hall.”

After the game, according to The Record, Smith addressed the crowd and the team’s impending move across campus to the Warner Palaestra, which opened in the fall of that year.

“Some say we will be losing a lot by moving from this hall,” he said that night. “I say we will be gaining a lot by moving into the Warner Palaestra. If we can fill those stands with more people with the same enthusiasm, it will be a great thing.”

But today Smith acknowledges he had mixed emotions about the move and still misses the bandbox atmosphere of the Old Gym, today known as Guild Hall.

“We had such a great home-court advantage,” he said. “I think I actually lost some of my hearing because of the noise in there. It was always packed.

“It was an amazing place to play. I know I missed it when we left and our players did too.”

Put our high-performing team to work for you!

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The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University form a partnership of two of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, attracting students from 41 states and 14 countries.

LEAVING A LEGACY

Considering the long legacy he and his family have established at Saint John’s University, it’s funny to think Jim Bassett’s first impressions of the place weren’t necesarrily positive.

“I went here for two years and didn’t like it, so I left and went back to work on the ore boats in the Great Lakes,” recalls Bassett, a 1958 SJU graduate. “Then I went to St. Thomas for one semester and I hated it there too. I was a kid from Bemidji and everyone else on campus seemed to go home to their high school friends on the weekend. I was always there alone.

“So I went back out on the ore boats until I figured out that if I returned to Saint Johns for a year, I could graduate.”

Which is what Bassett did, this time establishing ties that have remained strong throughout the decades since. He went on to serve as president of the national alumni association and six of his sons attended the school while two of his daughters went to the College of Saint Benedict.

“I guess you could say I had a 180-degree turnabout,” he said with a chuckle.

Part of that was due to his family’s long association with legendary head coach Jim Smith and the Johnnies basketball program. One of his sons handled statistics for the team, another helped coach the junior varsity while two more played – including Larry ’92, an All-MIAC selection who scored over 1,000 points in his collegiate career.

“We just fell in love with the program,” Bassett said. “It’s been so good to our family. We’ve gone along with the team on a couple of trips to Europe, we’ve been to Brazil, we once went out west to Portland. And Jim Smith has become one of my best friends.

“Basketball at Saint John’s has meant a lot to us over the years.”

Bassett has long been a generous donor to the program and he’s taken steps to ensure that philanthropy continues even after he’s gone by establishing an estate plan that includes a dedicated gift to the Jim Smith Endowed Basketball Leadership Program Fund.

It’s an endowment established to support Johnnies basketball by providing budget enhancement funding to ensure the program is able to remain at a competitive level in the MIAC and nationally in NCAA Division III.

“Jim Smith is the greatest guy in the world,” said Bassett, who is also a generous donor to a number of other causes including Catholic Charities. “I can’t say enough good things about everything he’s done for so many people over the years.

“And I think Pat McKenzie has come in and done a great job since taking over (following Smith’s retirement in 2015). We have a really good basketball program here with really great people running it. I just want to do what I can to make sure that continues in the years to come.

“A gift like this is easy to do if you can afford it and I’ve been fortunate enough that I’m able to.”

Website: givesju.com Phone: 320-363-3099 Email: johnemail@csbsju.edu

CAMPUS UPDATE

NEW MAJOR: CLIMATE STUDIES

In an ever-evolving effort to ensure academic opportunities remain at the cutting edge of issues and careers of importance well into the 21st century, the faculty and boards of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University recently approved a new minor to be offered in climate studies, beginning in fall 2023.

With climate change looming as perhaps the biggest crisis of the foreseeable future, it is likely to require multiple solutions and complex thinking to find ways to reverse its effects and live with its reality. To address this need Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s will incorporate many fields from the academic catalog into the new minor.

“The great thing about our climate studies minor is that it is truly interdisciplinary,” said Corrie Grosse, who has a doctorate in sociology and is an assistant professor of environmental studies at CSB and SJU. “Climate crisis requires all hands on deck to research, innovate and craft sustainable and just solutions. Our program builds on our existing liberal arts strengths in cultivating diverse skills and perspectives among our students – the leaders of the future.”

The drive to add a climate studies minor came primarily from the students. They have lived their entire lives in a world of changing climate and seek greater understanding for it and a way to be part of the solutions to the crisis. “I was really excited to hear about the climate studies minor because it gives more of a focused and expansive curriculum – in terms of environmental studies – about a topic that is going to become more and more pressing over

time,” said Jalayna Smith-Moore ’24, a CSB senior. “It is a really important minor to have for prospective students to be able to prepare for making solutions to climate change.”

Derek Larson, professor and chair of the environmental studies department at CSB and SJU, commented, “We looked at the urgency and demand for action on the climate crisis and saw that we not only have the existing faculty expertise but coursework across departments was already being developed and taught with climate change in mind.”

“We have to decrease our emissions by half by 2030 in order to keep temperatures below 1.5 degrees (increase),” Grosse said. “We’ve got a narrow time window. These next 10 years are critical. We need students and graduates who are prepared to lead creatively, courageously and with justice at the center of their work.”

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ROBERT HALF PRESENTS ASSISTANT COACHES

DANNY QUINN

Quinn is in his first season as an assistant basketball coach at Saint John’s in 2022-23. He served as an assistant basketball coach at another MIAC institution, Saint Mary’s, in 2021-22 and spent one season on the coaching staff at his alma mater, Loras (Iowa), in 2020-21. Quinn was a graduate assistant coach at La Verne (Calif.) in 2019-20. A 2017 graduate of Loras, Quinn played four seasons for the Duhawks. He was a team captain as a senior and helped the team to its first Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) championship in 10 years.

JERRY FOGARTY

Jerry Fogarty is in his 23rd year as an assistant coach for SJU in 2022-23. A 1964 graduate of St. Thomas, Fogarty played basketball for the Tommies and became a basketball assistant at Rochester Lourdes High School after earning his degree. In 1969, he became the school’s head coach and guided Lourdes to a state independent crown in 1973. He was inducted into the Lourdes Sports Hall of Fame in December 2009. Fogarty and his wife, Becki, live in Avon. They have three children.

SEAN RYAN

Ryan is in his second season as an assistant coach for the Johnnies in 2022-23. A 2020 graduate of Saint John’s, Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree in global business leadership and is working towards his master’s degree in sport management from the University of Minnesota. Ryan was a four-year member of the SJU basketball team that won two MIAC regular-season championships, two MIAC Playoff championships and made three national tournament appearances, including a trip to the NCAA's Sweet 16 in 2019-20.

SAM DITTBERNER

Dittberner is in his ninth season as an assistant coach for SJU in 2022-23. A 2013 graduate of SJU, Dittberner appeared in all 26 games and served as a team captain for the Johnnies in 2012-13. He is an internal sales consultant at Allianz Life in Golden Valley and resides in St. Louis Park.

GARRETT GOETZ

Goetz is in his fifth season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Johnnies in 2022-23. A 2018 graduate of Saint John’s, Goetz earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and was a four-year member on the SJU basketball team. He led the MIAC in assists, in both conference play (5.5 apg.) and overall (5.7 apg.), in 2017-18. Goetz started each of SJU’s last 55 games at point guard and ended his career ninth in school history with 271 career assists.

ALEX RASMUSSEN

Rasmussen is in his first season as an assistant coach at SJU in 2022-23. A 2022 graduate of SJU, Rasmussen was a member of two MIAC regular-season and three MIAC playoff championship teams. He is a native of Dundas, Minn., and currently works for Northwestern Mutual.